I've been with this board since its inception, which I welcomed as the board-that-must-not-be-named had ceased to be open for "political" discussion. I have enjoyed the opportunities to express my views, and to learn from yours. I have "known" some of you for almost two years now, and you have been supportive in tough times and good online pals for silliness, seriousness, and spirituality.
I think it is time for me to move on. My participation has been gradually fading, and I feel it is time for it to end. I have sensed some hostility towards me and my opinions, and I have become weary of repeatedly making the same arguments on certain topics (*cough* third parties *cough*). There are still a significant number of you that I hold in high regard and consider friends.
I am not doing this in order to get attention, or because I've been offended, or because I think poorly of you. I am doing this because it is what I need to do for my own serenity. It is a tough decision to make, and one that saddens me, but it is the best decision for me.
If you want to keep in touch, you can PM me for my email address.
And remember, a vote for a third party is a vote for Hillary.
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I'm not voting for Ron Paul because it's not expressly prescribed in the Constitution.
"The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path. Our path is uphill most days, but the help we receive for the climb is literally divine." --Elaine S. Dalton
Now see, this is how it's supposed to work. Nobody's incredibly mad at anyone. Yes, inevitable change is happening, but that's ok. This is much better than banning/disowning/teeth-gnashing/bridge-burning that occurs far too often when someone makes such a move.
See 'ya around, FOS! I didn't know you long, but it looks like many people here aren't saying farewell, just 'see you later'.
Just remember that the church'd be happy to have you back any time.
I personally would be happy to engage in friendly discussion or spirited debate on any topic, with most any good goal in mind, at any time.
LM
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And I'd discuss the holy books with the learned men, seven hours every day. That would be the sweetest thing of all.
Shiz, I don't usually read the more political threads here. I was hoping that all was going well as you continued to post here. I sure hope you can say "hi" from time to time and even give your "two cents." When you are not here, you will be missed. Be well!
I too, wish the best for you, Casi, and family. I will make a post to the Moderation area, but suffice it to say that you will not be able to PM Shiz. I honestly regret that. For discussion of that, take it to the moderation area. Shiz added a lot of entertainment and insight to this forum.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
Sorry, Shiz, you're not getting out of our third-party debate that easily. I have your blog bookmarked and I'm a member of a couple of your other haunts on the web.
See you around, buddy.
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The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life. - Julie Beck
Shoot, did I miss something? You will be greatly missed, Shiz. Your political positions align closely to mine so now I'm starting to feel more outnumbered already. I've held back on my thoughts on Ron Paul (believe it or not ) as I don't want to be kicked off my first forum and I haven't even chimed in much on the third party topic (I'm pretty much in agreement with Michael Medved and you).
It probably won't do much good to ask you to reconsider but I have to extend that request. I'll try to be nice and you can ignore everyone else .
TitusTodd, whatever you want to say about Ron Paul is fine, just so long as you state it civilly and disagree with others civilly. If you want to say Ron Paul will bring about the next apocalypse, that's fine. It's not fine to say that someone is an idiot for not believing that Ron Paul will bring about the next apocalypse. I try to keep it simple.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
TitusTodd, whatever you want to say about Ron Paul is fine, just so long as you state it civilly and disagree with others civilly. If you want to say Ron Paul will bring about the next apocalypse, that's fine. It's not fine to say that someone is an idiot for not believing that Ron Paul will bring about the next apocalypse. I try to keep it simple.
I don't think even my worst would be "kick off of the forum" bad. Can I say we are all idiots on occasion without being specific as to when and on what? Actually, that word is banned in my house so you won't hear it from me in reference to anyone here except for perhaps myself.
Boy am I slow to bat or what? This is what i get for reading one or two sections of a forum at a time. I sent you a PM but then I noticed that your account is probably no longer accessible to you. I've emailed you too, but take your time in responding as you'll probably not get time with all the other things going on in your life at this time and probably everyone else is emailing you all at once. :)
I will miss your enthusiasm for Thompson. :) Though after your revelation that you were leaving the church, I was not entirely sure if you still loved the same political affiliation or not... not sure what all has, is or will change... I'm sure we're all up for a great deal of change as time marches on... So I try to keep my heart open to every kind... I hope you and Casi are happy and stay together and cherish each other. Love them kids too... and if you find yourself in need of assistance and wanna visit the Pacific Northwest... I'd be glad to put you up anytime.
Huggers and Best wishes to you and yours. :)
--Ray
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I'm not slow; I'm special. (Don't take it personally, everyone finds me offensive. Yet somehow I manage to live with myself.)
If you want to dish out some politics I can add you as a contributor to my blog which I have sadly neglected as of late (bresponsible.blogspot.com). You don't even have to agree with me.
Though you say it is not from feeling offended, I feel to say that I regret that you might have felt picked on by me as a moderator over the last 48 hours. I too was doing what I thought was right.
My prayer is that you find whatever happiness you desire. I am sure that the Lord will bless you feet and hands and heart, as you turn them over to Him. Faith, Hope, and Charity Never Faileth......
I've seen quite a number of folks who have left the Church and then found it again.
There is always hope.
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no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing... the truth of God will go forth till it has penetrated every website, sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done
It was then that the fox appeared. "Good morning," said the fox. "Good morning," the little prince responded politely, although when he turned around he saw nothing. "I am right here," the voice said, "under the apple tree." "Who are you?" asked the little prince, and added, "You are very pretty to look at." "I am a fox," said the fox. "Come and play with me," proposed the little prince. "I am so unhappy." "I cannot play with you," the fox said. "I am not tamed." "Ah! Please excuse me," said the little prince. But, after some thought, he added: "What does that mean-- 'tame'?" ..."It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. It means to establish ties." "'To establish ties'?" "Just that," said the fox. "To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world..." "I am beginning to understand," said the little prince. ..."My life is very monotonous," the fox said. "I hunt chickens; men hunt me. All the chickens are just alike, and all the men are just alike. And, in consequence, I am a little bored. But if you tame me, it will be as if the sun came to shine on my life. I shall know the sound of a step that will be different from all the others. Other steps send me hurrying back underneath the ground. Yours will call me, like music, out of my burrow. And then look: you see the grain-fields down yonder? I do not eat bread. Wheat is of no use to me. The wheat fields have nothing to say to me. And that is sad. But you have hair that is the colour of gold. Think how wonderful that will be when you have tamed me! The grain, which is also golden, will bring me back the thought of you. And I shall love to listen to the wind in the wheat..." The fox gazed at the little prince, for a long time. "Please-- tame me!" he said. "I want to, very much," the little prince replied. "But I have not much time. I have friends to discover, and a great many things to understand." "One only understands the things that one tames," said the fox. "Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy things all ready made at the shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so men have no friends any more. If you want a friend, tame me..." "What must I do, to tame you?" asked the little prince. "You must be very patient," replied the fox. "First you will sit down at a little distance from me-- like that-- in the grass. I shall look at you out of the corner of my eye, and you will say nothing. Words are the source of misunderstandings. But you will sit a little closer to me, every day..." The next day the little prince came back. "It would have been better to come back at the same hour," said the fox. "If, for example, you come at four o'clock in the afternoon, then at three o'clock I shall begin to be happy. I shall feel happier and happier as the hour advances. At four o'clock, I shall already be worrying and jumping about. I shall show you how happy I am! But if you come at just any time, I shall never know at what hour my heart is to be ready to greet you... One must observe the proper rites..." "What is a rite?" asked the little prince. "Those also are actions too often neglected," said the fox. "They are what make one day different from other days, one hour from other hours. There is a rite, for example, among my hunters. Every Thursday they dance with the village girls. So Thursday is a wonderful day for me! I can take a walk as far as the vineyards. But if the hunters danced at just any time, every day would be like every other day, and I should never have any vacation at all."
So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of his departure drew near-- "Ah," said the fox, "I shall cry." "It is your own fault," said the little prince. "I never wished you any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you..." "Yes, that is so," said the fox. "But now you are going to cry!" said the little prince. "Yes, that is so," said the fox. "Then it has done you no good at all!" "It has done me good," said the fox, "because of the color of the wheat fields." ..."Goodbye," said the fox. "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." "What is essential is invisible to the eye," the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember. ..."Men have forgotten this truth," said the fox. "But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. Shiz and Casi, I will always consider you friends.
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The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life. - Julie Beck
I hope that I am not making things too long and drawn out in a way that would upset Shiz. I know he never wanted to be a "special project." I did want to say a few things. First, I like the present avatar! Second, I know that he has shown that he still has a strong value system and belief in Jesus Christ. As far as I know, his politics did not shift. He is probably too conservative for me, but so are a lot of people. :) But I don't let that stand in the way of my friendships. Shiz has invited people to stay in touch so it really does not have to be goodbye to those who take him up on it. As I was not that close to him or Casi but more or less someone who enjoyed their comments, I probably will not stay in touch in that matter. But if they ever want to drop me a line, I am there to listen and give input.
Shiz is a good husband and father! Shiz and Casi, although we do not know each other well, I hope that if we met that we would be friends. I do love you both as I said. I always thought it was cute to hear your insights on marriage. In fact, I really liked Casi's philosphy of doing good for each other because you love one and another and not because you feel a need to keep track.
Whatever trials you will face(as life if full of those for all of us), I do hope you will have strength and comfort.
There are still a significant number of you that I hold in high regard and consider friends. 
